Benefit Guidelines

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Free/Reduced Price Eligibility Guidelines for School Lunch, School Breakfast,
and Special Milk Programs

(Salt Lake City, UT) – Salt Lake City School District today announced their policy for free or reduced-price meals and free milk for children unable to pay the full price of meals/milk served under the National School Lunch, School Breakfast, After School Snack, and/or Special Milk programs. This policy will be followed by district schools and sponsored charter schools - Open Classroom and Salt Lake Center for Science Education. The district is distributing program information and accepting free and reduced-price applications now for the 2024-2025 school year.

The household size and income criteria used for determining eligibility are listed below. Children from households whose income is at or below the levels shown are eligible for free or reduced-price meals/free milk. The Income Eligibility Guidelines are also located online at https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/income-eligibility-guidelines.

 

Income Eligibility Guidelines
Effective from July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025
Household Size	Reduced price meals -- 185%					Free meals -- 130%
	Annual	Monthly	Twice per Month	Every Two Weeks	Weekly	Annual	Monthly	Twice per Month	Every Two Weeks	Weekly
1	27,861	2,322	1,161	1,072	536	19,578	1,632	816	753	377
2	37,814	3,152	1,576	1,455	728	26,572	2,215	1,108	1,022	511
3	47,767	3,981	1,991	1,838	919	33,566	2,798	1,399	1,291	646
4	57,720	4,810	2,405	2,220	1,110	40,560	3,380	1,690	1,560	780
5	67,673	5,640	2,820	2,603	1,302	47,554	3,963	1,982	1,829	915
6	77,626	6,469	3,235	2,986	1,493	54,548	4,546	2,273	2,098	1,049
7	87,579	7,299	3,650	3,369	1,685	61,542	5,129	2,565	2,367	1,184
8	97,532	8,128	4,064	3,752	1,876	68,536	5,712	2,856	2,636	1,318
For each additional family member add	9,953	830	415	383	192	6,994	583	292	269	135

Free or reduced-price meal application forms and instructions to complete an online application are provided as part of the annual student enrollment process. They are available online at https://www.slcschools.org/departments/child-nutrition/applications. If needed, a paper application can be printed at home or picked up at your school kitchen or main office.

To apply for free or reduced-price meals or free milk, households should apply online or submit a completed paper application to your school or the Child Nutrition Department. The information provided on the application will be used for the purpose of determining eligibility and may be verified at any time during the school year by the school or other program officials.

For the school officials to determine eligibility, the household must provide the following information listed on the application:

·         names of all household members;

·         the last four digits of the Social Security Number of the adult completing the application, or a statement that the person does not possess one;

·         the income received by each household member with income frequency and income source noted; and

·         the signature of an adult household member certifying that the information provided is correct.

Applications may be submitted at any time during the school year. If a household member becomes unemployed or if the household situation changes, the family should contact the Child Nutrition Department. Such changes may make the children of the household eligible for free or reduced-price meals or free milk.

Under the provisions of the free and reduced-price policy, a designated official in the Child Nutrition Department will review applications and determine eligibility. If a parent or guardian is dissatisfied with the ruling of the official, (s)he may wish to discuss the decision on an informal basis with the approving official. If the parent or guardian wishes to make a formal appeal, (s)he may make a request by contacting the Child Nutrition Department at (801) 974-8380 for more information.

Foster children who are legal wards of the court or state are eligible for free meal benefits. If a household has foster children and wishes to apply for meal benefits for such children, the household should complete the application.

Other Methods of Determining Eligibility

Children or households currently approved for Food Stamps (SNAP), Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), Family Employment Program (FEP), or some Medicaid programs are eligible for free or reduced meal or milk benefits. There are two ways the household may qualify for free meals.

1.       The Child Nutrition Department will approve these children for free meals through the direct certification process and no application is required for free meal benefits, or

2.       The household may contact the Child Nutrition Department and indicate the qualifying assistance program in which they participate.

Households will be notified of their eligibility and children will be provided free meal benefits, unless the household notifies the school that it chooses to decline benefits. All children in a household are eligible for free meal benefits, and if any child(ren) was not listed on the eligibility notice, the household should contact the school to have benefits extended to that child(ren). If the child(ren) or household receives benefits under Assistance Programs or other source programs and is not notified by the school of their free meal benefits, the parent or guardian should contact their school.

When known to the district, households will be notified of any child’s eligibility for free meals if the individual child is Other Source Categorically Eligible because the child is categorized as homeless, migrant, or runaway as defined by law; or enrolled in an eligible Head Start, Even Start program (pre-school and pre-kindergarten children) as defined by law.

Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants & Children (WIC) may be eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Individuals should complete an application for free and reduced-price meals and return it to the school where the child is enrolled. The family will be notified of the child’s eligibility.

Privacy

Children’s names, free or reduced-meal eligibility status, and other information provided on the paper application or obtained through direct certification may be disclosed to certain other Federal, State, or local agencies as authorized by the National School Lunch Act. Otherwise, all information provided to our Child Nutrition Department is considered confidential and will be used only for purposes of determining eligibility and verifying data, unless a waiver releasing the use of the information for other specific programs is signed by the parent or guardian. Families directly certified will receive a waiver release form for their signature with the notification letter. The household name and address will be given to the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) unless “No” is checked on the back of the application.

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In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

1. mail:
   U.S. Department of Agriculture
   Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
   1400 Independence Avenue, SW
   Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
2. fax:
   (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

email:
program.intake@usda.gov